Pneumatically actuated pumping system



Dec. 29, 1931. c. A. BUTLER PNEUMATICALLY AGTUATED PUMPING SYSTEM 7 Filed Oct. 25, 929- Dec. 29, 1931. c. A. BUTLER 1,339,140

PNEUMATICALLY ACTUATED PUMPING SYSTEM Patented Dec. 29, 1931 more PNEUIiIATICALLY ACTUATED MTPIN SYSTEM Application filed caterer as, 1929. Serial 1%.

This invention relates to improvements in systems including pumps actuated pneumatically, and is more particularly directed to such systems as may beemployed for pumping liquids from any great depths, as from oil wells and the like.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ pneumatically actuated pumps of. many kinds, but the present invention relates to a particularly simple system of this category in which a plurality of pump units are located at intervals along a deep well casing, and are individually connected to a source of compressed air,-whereby the pumps are independently operated according to the status of the liquid itself which is to be raised. By reason of the independenceof these units with respect to one another, any number of the units-may be employed, as may be required by the exigencies ofthe particular plant, without any alteration or change in the arrangement or construction of any particular unit. 1

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a unit competent for assemblage in sucha system which comprises a relatively. small number of parts, and providesa valve system for regulating the admission of the compressed air into the pump.

chan1ber proper, which system is positively operated to obtaina quick opening and closing of these valves, to lessen the possibility of loss of energy by escape of. compressed air without useful employment.

Other features of the invention will appear in the course of the following specitie cation and claims, in conjunction with the illustratedform of the invention in the accompanying drawings. V

. An illustrative form of practicing the invention is. set forth on the accompanying drawings, in'whichr Figure 1 is a view, with parts broken away, H illustrating the. arrangement of a plurality of units within the well casing.

Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectional view on a much larger scale of the upper part of one unit. V0 Fig. 8 is a corresponding sectional View of the lower part of theunlt. 1

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper clos ing plug and attached parts, for a pumping unit. H

Fig 5. is a horizontal sectional View on line 55 of Fig. 2. 1

Fig. 6 is .a horizontal sectional viewv on line 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a corresponding horizontal sectional View on line 7 of Fig. 8 is a corresponding sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig, 3. Accordingto the illustrated form, the well casing C is of the usual type and is located in the well hole in the usual manner, and is provided above the ground level with a casing head H.

An air pressure line 10 is provided, which passes from the ground downward to the last p .mping unit. in Fig. 1, two pumping units P, Pa are shown, which are connected in series or cascade, in the manner hereinafter described whereby the lower unit delivers the liquid pumped into the upper unit and the latter in turn is delivered to the outlet pipe 11. 'i he lower unit P receives the oil through a strainer connection 12 located at the bottom of the well.

In Figs. 2, 3 and i, the air line or pipe 10 is shown as passing downward through the pumping unit Pa, and as being provided just above this pumping unit with a branch pipe 18 having a connection 14 to a nipple .15 which is sealed by a packing 16 and gland nut 1'? in the closing plug 18 of the pumping unit P. The pumping unit comprises the casing 19 which is threaded at top and bottom and provider with the upper coupling 20 and lower coupling'21 which are respectively tl readedto the upper closing plug 18 and the lower closing plug 22, whereby the parts of the pumping unit may be easily dismounted for inspection and repair.

The upper closingplug 18 is provided with four-apertures therethrough, bein respec* tively the apertures 23 through which the connection is established between the portions of the airpressure pipe 10 above, within and below the pumping unit; the branched air inlet aperture 2% to which air passes through the nipple '17, the oil forcing 'ape'r-.

ture 25, and the air exhaust aperture 26. A threaded oil delivery pipe 27 is mounted by screw threads directly in the aperture or the upper closing plug 18, and leads to the oil outlet pipe 11 (Fig. 1). Suitable brackets 28 may be provided to connect the air pressure pipe 10 and the oil delivery pipe 27 within the casing between the individual pumping units.

Threaded in the lower end of the exhaust aperture 26 is a slotted valve sleeve or cage member 30 having a sliding plunger 31 therein, at the upper end of which is mounted an exhaust ole-sin valve 32, adapted to seat itself a ainst the valve seat flange 33 of the sleeve 30. At the lower end of the sleeve 30 it is threadedly engaged with the'casing 34 of the piston valve controlling mechanism, this casing providing a cylinder 35 in which may reciprocate the piston 36 which has apiston rod 37 connected by a pivot 38 a lever 39 having a pivot 40 connecting it to the rocking support arm 41 which in turn is supported by a pivot on the lower end of the inlet valve casing or cage 43. This inlet valve casing 43 likewise contains an inlet valve plunger 44 which has mounted at its upper end the inlet valve 45 which is adapted to be seated against the valve seat flange 46 of the casing 43.

The lower end of the cylinder 35 is closed by a plug 47 having a packing 48 and a gland nut 49 to seal the piston rod 37. In the upper portion of the casing 34 is provided a bore hole 50 in which is rockably mounted the sliding valve body 51 which is connected to the lever 52, which in turn is joined by the link 53 to the lever 54.. The oscillatingvalve body 51 moves opposite the valve ports 55, 56, 57 in the casing 34, so that a cavity 58 in the bottom of the valve body 51 may alternately establish communication between the port and the port 57 with the central port 56, which is connected by a conduit 59 to a port 60 opening into the exhaust aperture 26 above the valve seat 33, so that the discharge from this central port 56 is independent of the position of valve 33. At the same time that the valve bot y 51 by its cavity 58 establishes communication between the outlet port 56 and either port 55 or 57, the space surrounding the valve body 51 is simultaneously brought into communication with the other port 57 or 55, so that air from the branched air pressure line nipple 15 may pass through a port 60 and a conduit 61 to the port 62, and thus to the space around the valve body 51.

The lever 39 has a pivot 63 by which it is connected to the pull rod 65 having a pivot connection 66 at its upper end to an operator member 67 whose ends project through slots inthe inlet and outlet valve casings 43 and 30 and are received in cavities of the respective inlet and outlet valve plungers 44 and 31.

The lever 54 is pivotally connected to and supported by a rod 68 which is threaded into the upper closing plug 18. The free end of the lever 54 is connected to a float rod 69 having a ring 70 thereon and passing through the float 71 and being provided at its lower end with a hook 72 by which it is connected to the bail 73 of a bucket 74 located in a casing 75 having drain openings 76 at the bottom thereof, and being supported by brackets 77 clamped to the 'oil delivery aperture 25 of the upper closing plug 18. The closing casing 7 5 is provided with a cover 79 having a large aperture through which the rod 69 may pass. The float 71 is provided with a central tube 80, so that the chamber of the floatis closed at the top but space is provided for the passage of the rod 69. The downward movement of the float 71 is limited by a supporting shelf 81 likewise mount-' ing 83 is open to the interior of the casing,

19 of the pumping unit P.

In Fig. 3 it will be noted that the air pressure line 10 is passed through an aperture 87 in the lower closing plug 22, a packing 88 with a packing gland 89 being provided to prevent the leakage of oil from the interior of the casing 19. The lower closing plug is also provided with an aperture 90 into the lower end of which is threaded the oil delivery pipe 91, which it will be understood corresponds either to the suction strainer 12 or the oil delivery line 27 in Fig. l, accordingly as the unit is located at the bottom or an intermediate point along the case C. A bushing 92 is threaded into the upper end of the aperture 90 and receives the valve cage 93 of the ball valve 94.

The operation of each of the units is controlled by the presence of the oil therein, and hence a description of the operation of any one of them will sutlice as an indication of the operation of the successive units in chain.

The compressed air in the air pressure line 10 passes downward until it comes to the branch 13 just above the respective unit P, and thence passes through this branch 13 into the upper closing plug 18 of the unit. It will be assumed that'initially the casing 19 of the unit P has a maximum content of oil or similar liquid being pumped. Under such conditions, the increase of the oil level has ultimately raised the float into the dotted line position 71a (Fig.2) so that the ring 70 has moved the lever 54 and link 53, to bring rocking of the sliding valve body 57a, to the cylinder space 35 beneath the piston 36, thus causing an upward movement of the piston, with an exhausting of any air in the upper space of the cylinder 37 through the port 55, cavity 58 in valve body 51, port 56, conduit 59, and the exhaust aperture 26 of upper closing plug 18, to the interior of the well casing C, and thence to the atmosphere through the casing head H. This upward movement of the piston 36 and piston rod 87 causes a relative counterclockwise movement of the lever 39 and an upward movement of the connecting link so that the inlet and outlet valve plungers 44 and 31 are raised. The outlet valve 32 is brought against its seat to'prevent the escape of air from the interior of the casing 19, while the inlet valve 45 is raised from its seat and permits compressed air from the nipple 15 to flow directly past the valve and through the port 100 into the interior of the casing 19. This air pressure acts directgaining the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. As the outflow of oil continues from the casing 19, it ultimately reaches a level such as, for example, indicated by the line L'L in Fig. 3, in which it is below the drain openings 76 of the bucket casing 75. The

' bucket? 4 has been filled with oil during preceding pumping operations, so that its weight is sufficient to counteract the spring 82 when suspended in air: and as the oil in the casing drains away through the opening 76, the weight of the bucket 7 4 and its contents operates against the spring 82 to cause a downward movement of'the link 53 and thus a 51 in'a counterclockwise direction.

Communication is now established by the valve body 51 so that compressed air from the nipple 15 may flow through port 60, conduit 61', port 62, through the space around the valve body 51, port 55, to the upperspace of cylinder 35, causinga downward movement ofthe piston '36 and rod 37: while the air escapes from the lower space of the cylinder 35 by conduit 57a, port 57, the cavity 58 ct the valve body 51, thence by port 56 and con rod 37 thus occasioned causes a downward movement of the rod 65 and therewith clownward movements ofthe inlet and outlet valve plungers 44 and 31, so that now the inlet valve 45 is brought against'its seat whilethe outlet valve 32 is withdrawn from its seat.

The downward -movementfot the valve plunger 31 permits the air within the casing 19 to pass through the slot 101 and around the valve 33 to the exhaust opening 26, so that new oil may enter through the pipe 91 by raising the ball valve 94 and again establish a rising oil level in the casing 19 until the fioat 71 again operates against the ring 70 to cause a reversal of the oscillating valve body 51 in the manner described above.

This operationrepeats itself so long as the compressed air is present in the pipelO and oil enters from the pipe 91'.

It will particularly be noted that the operation of the lowest unit in the casing C occurs by the grav tational movement of the oil entering the stramer 12, since the lower end of the lower unit is below the oil level WV, W 2

in the well casing G.

For each successive upper unit, the operation is determined by a counterbalance of the air pressure within the particular unit andthe pressure in the unit next above, so that, for example, a lower unitmay deliver only a portion of-its contents andthereby fill an upper unit so that the upper unit will now operate to discharge its full contents from maximum to minimum level, and then reset i'tselfto receive the remaining contents of the lower unit. In other words, the'o'peration of eachunit is entirely independent of the units above or below it, and depends ioo solely upon'the attaining respectively. of the A maximum or minlmumoil level within the particular unit. L s In particular, it will be noted that the pivoted arrangement of the cross arm v67 at the end of the link 65 makes it possible to release or set the inlet and outlet valves independently one of another from the single operating piston 86, since'alternatively the plunger 44 is seated against the flange of the inlet valve casing 43 in its upward movement, so that as fixed'point of support is afforded for the left' hand end of the cross arm 67 for forcing the exhaust valve 32 againstits seat, and if the exhaust valve 32 is first engaged, its plunger 31 forms afixed pivot for the transverse arm 67 so that a positive leverage is exertable" against the plunger 44 to open the inlet valve 45-against the air pressure: while during the downward movement the engagement of the outlet plunger 31 upon the upper surfaceof the casing 34 permits a leverage to be brought to bear against the inlet plunger 44 to seat the valve 45, this action being of course assisted by the air pressure in the nipple 15, and

also if 'theinlet valve 45'i's first seated, then its plunger 44 provides a fixed pivotfor -r transverse arm 67 in pulling the exhaust valve 32 away from its seat against the air pressure.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the form of execution shown, but that it may be varied in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A well pumping system for pneumatic pumping of liquids from deep Wells comprising a plurality of pump units adapted to be lowered into the well tubing, means for providing a compressed air line extending from the top of the well to the lowest unit and passing through each of the units above the lowest, each said unit including a casing and upper and lower closing plugs for the same, a branch from said air line to each of said units, a delivery line comprising sections extending successively from the bottom of each unit casing to the bottom of each higher casing, means to prevent the return flow of liquid in the sections of the delivery line, an inlet valve to admit air from said branch into said casing, an exhaust valve to permit the escape of air from said easing into the well tubing, air driven mechanism to operate said valves for alternate opening and closing and means controlled by the level of liquid in said casing to admit air from said branch to said mechanism to actuate the same.

2. In a pneumatically actuated pump, a casing, upper and lower heads for the casing, compressed air line connected to the upper head, a liquid delivery line passing through the upper head and opening into the casing adjacent its bottom, an inlet valve to admit air from said air line into said casing, an exhaust valve to permit the escape of air from said casing, means to operate said valves including a fioatand a weight bucket, said float operating to effect the opening of the inlet valve and the closing of the exhaust valve when apredetermined maximum liquid level is reached, and said bucket operating to effeet the closing of said valve and opening of the exhaust valve when a predetermined minimum liquid level is reached, and a guard surrounding said bucket to prevent the dragging downward of said bucket by the current of liquid as it moves toward said delivery line.

3. A pump as in claim 2 in which the guard is a housing enclosing the bucket, said housing having a small opening near its bottom for the gradual entry and escape of liquid therefrom.

4. A pump comprising a vertical Cylindrical casing, upper and lower heads for said casing, an inlet pipe opening through said lower head into said casing and a check valve forclosing the same, an outlet pipe passing through said upper head and opening into the casing adjacent its lower end, a com pressed air line and a pneumatic operating mechanism supported by said upper head and located in said casing, said mechanism comprising inlet and exhaust valves to control the passage of air to and from the casing, a valve operating member, and an air driven piston located in a cylinder, a control valve to control the passage of air to said cylinder, means including a float and a weight in said casing to move said control valve whereby to cause said piston to be driven in one direction when the casing has been filled and in the other direction when the casing has been emptied, and conduits for connecting said air line to said inlet and control valves.

5. A pump as in claim 4, in which the float and weight means includes a rod extending vertically in said casing, a bucket carried by saidrrod at its lower end and a float loosely embracing said rod, said rod having a collar thereon whereby said float may raise the rod when liquid is entering the casing to above apredetermined level,and fixed means to limit the downward movement of said float.

6. A pump as in claim 5 in which the float and weight means includes a rod extending vertically in said casing, a bucket carried by said rod at its lower end, and a spring connected to the upper head to compensate the weight of the bucket when immersed in liquid.

7. A pneumatic pump comprising a casing having upper and lower heads, a compressed air line, an inlet line opening through said lower head into the casing, a delivery line leading from the bottom of said casing through said upper head, check valves to close said inlet and delivery lines, an air inlet valve to control the passage of air from-said air line into the casing, an exhaustvalve to control the escape of air from said casing, an air driven mechanism for opening and closing said valves alternately, a member reciprocated by said mechanism, and an operator element pivoted to said member and pivotally engaging said valves to move the same.

8. A pump as in claim 7 in which the valves and mechanism are supported by the upper head, a link pivotally connected to said upper head and extending downwardly, said mechanism including a vertically moving rod, a lever pivoted at its ends to said link and rod, and a central pivotal connection on said lever to said member.

9. A pneumatic pump comprising a vertical cylindrical casing having upperand lower heads, a compressed air line, an inlet line open to the casing through the lower head, a delivery line extending through the upper head and opening to the casing near its bottom, check valves to close said inlet and delivery lines, an air inlet valve, an exhaust valve, and a valve operating mechanism including an air motor located in the casing and fastened to the upper head, the cylinder of said motor having a horizontal cavity to receive a rocking air valve to control admission of air to said motor, and liquid level controlled means to rock said valve.

10. A pump as in claim 9 including valve cages in said upper head for said air inlet and exhaust valves and in Which said air motor is carried by one of said cages.

11. A pump as in claim 9 including valve cages carried by said upper head for said inlet and exhaust valves, and in Which said air motor is carried by one of said cages a link carried by the other of said cages, a lever pivoted at its ends to said link and to the motor piston rod and a valve operating member connected to the middle of said lever.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signature.

CHARLES A. BUTLER.

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